


Little Talks

by havisham



Category: Captain America (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Canon - Comics, Ficlet, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Serious Injuries, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-24
Updated: 2012-05-24
Packaged: 2017-11-05 22:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/411805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wait a minute.  Who's supposed to be doing the comforting here?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Talks

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the h/c meme on LJ. I finally got around to reading _Captain America and Bucky: The Life Story of Bucky Barnes._ **Spoiler:** Bucky's life story is tragic. And the first half of the book is pretty much all Cap/Bucky hurt comfort.

Bucky says, his voice cracking like a busted up radio, “Now Namor’s a terrible, _fishy_ son-of-a-bitch --” (Now, Steve’s face flushes at this, but it’s not like he disagrees. Exactly.) “But he’s right. About this.” 

Steve’s already shaking his head, slowly, as if waking from deep slumber. It’s not _right_ , he’s about to say. 

“You have to leave me behind. Pal.” The last word, Bucky punctuates with a smile that’s just a little too fresh. But then it flags, slips and settles into some expression that’s just as brave. Bucky’s forehead is drenched with sweat, he's too pale. When they had found him, his left leg had been bleeding heavily, a from a bayonet wound at the knee. And even now, through he’s all patched up -- and given the best of medical attention they had (a sleepy-eyed medic and a old farmhouse table) -- _well!_ Bucky should never look so small, or so breakable. 

It’s times like this, as much as Steve hates to admit it, when taking a kid (and despite all of Bucky’s protestations, he is still a kid) into a battlefield seems like perfect madness. He's got no powers, little enough protection. Sure, Bucky has heart, lots of heart, and more importantly, he has skill, but even that's not enough. It's times like these, Steve is again reminded of how vulnerable Bucky is, and how his life hangs in the balance. 

Neither heart, nor guts, or know-how might save him. One bad turn is all it takes. 

And if _anything_ did happen to him... 

It would be Steve’s fault. Yes, it _would_ be, even if no one blamed him. It wouldn’t _matter_ at all if anyone else blamed him. 

“Cap? It’s almost time.” Someone, behind him, is trying to catch his attention. Steve turns, and nods his agreement. For the Invaders, well, the clock’s running down. They need to get to their rendezvous, they need to get on with their mission. All those weeks of planning, leading to _this._

He focuses on Bucky again, and tries to smile. “I’ll be back, faster than you can say--” 

Bucky coughs, loudly. “Let’s not and say that we did.” And he gives him another smile that warms Steve, and cuts him to the quick. It’s ridiculous, really, how well Bucky can read him. 

It's comforting to see how quickly Bucky bounces back. 

Wait a minute. Who's supposed to be doing the comforting here? 

Soon, there’s nothing more for Steve to do except clasp Bucky’s shoulder one last time (and ignore the look Bucky gives him, wry and all-too-knowing) and then get on his way. “I’ll miss our little talks,” he hears Bucky say as he leaves, but that’s more for everyone else’s benefit than his. Steve makes an effort to straighten his spine, and prepare for the work ahead. And there’s so much work to do, and a war to be won, and Captain America can’t ever, ever get tired. Or so tied up with the fate of single soldier as to forget all of that. 

But Steve Rogers, well, he’s a different story. 

He can’t _ever_ forget about Bucky.


End file.
